The Effects of an Instructional Model Using Experiential Learning Theory to Enhance Art Teaching Competency of Undergraduate Students in Early Childhood Education
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Abstract
This study aimed to employ the instructional model and evaluate the effectiveness in enhancing art teaching competency of undergraduate students in early childhood education. The sample comprised 210 second-year students from six classrooms at Lishui University. Two classes were selected through cluster random sampling: one as the experimental group, receiving instruction based on experiential learning theory, and the other as the control group, taught using traditional lesson plans. Both groups received eight lesson plans over eight weeks, totaling 24 instructional hours. All lesson plans were evaluated by five experts and received an average score of 4.80 out of 5.00. Four research instruments were used: an art knowledge test, a micro-teaching and lesson plan evaluation form, a professional self-assessment, and an artistic heritage assessment. All instruments were validated for content, with IOC values ranging from 0.80 to 1.00. The self-assessment and heritage assessment tools also achieved a CVI of 1.00 after expert revision. Inter-rater reliability analysis showed high consistency, with ICC values between 0.78 and 0.81. The research results revealed that:
The students in the experimental group, who were taught using the instructional model based on experiential learning theory, showed a statistically significant improvement in their art teaching competency. Their total competency score increased from 66.66 to 86.47, while the control group, which received instruction through traditional lesson plans, saw an increase from 66.48 to 78.80. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the instructional model developed in this study. Therefore, it can be concluded that implementing an instructional model grounded in experiential learning theory can effectively enhance the art teaching competency of preservice teachers both theoretically and practically and is highly suitable for use as a guideline in training future early childhood educators.
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